I Followed You
by Windbloom
Summary: Kuvira has a past that shapes who she is and who she's destined to become. Suyin Beifong plays an important role. What starts as a friendship grows into more, and eventually becomes too much. Feelings are dealt with, or not dealt with. Power, lust, obsession, and love mix together to shape two women who, under different circumstances, would have been perfect for eachother.
1. Chapter 1 - From Above

_152 AG_

The first time Kuvira saw Zaofu it was from above. When the airship curved around the mountain, the sun was just starting to rise, and the morning light tinted everything orange and pink. Her mother had said something, but she was too entranced by the enormous unopened lotus flowers sitting in the middle of the valley, casting long dark shadows on the fields and rivers that flanked them. At first, she had thought they were giant sculptures, but as they began to open up, her eyes widened and she pressed her palm against the glass of the window. They unfolded slowly, and as the metallic petals spread they reflected the growing light in a dazzling show of silver and gold. She drew in a sharp breath.

She had never seen anything more beautiful, or more powerful.

As they neared the landing pad, she began to see the details of the city more clearly. Each structure was wholly separate, but all of them were connected by a monorail system.

"That monorail is the _only thing_ Zaofu has in common with Ba Sing Se," her father remarked proudly.

"Look who's excited now," her mother teased. Kuvira didn't want to look away from the city, but she could hear the sound of ruffled clothing as her parents held each other's hands.

"I can't believe how lucky we are. Do you know how hard it was for me to have the architects see her? I had to wait for hours."

"I know how much you hate waiting," her mother remarked idly.

"Bah. But really, I didn't think they were going to see her. I didn't want to be pushy, but then they were carrying a crate of ore and some of it was about to spill out and she bended it away from the guy's foot! It was incredible. They all stopped what they were doing to look over at us."

"That's about the tenth time you've told me, dear."

They were talking about her like she wasn't there again. This time she didn't mind. She looked out the window, squinting her eyes against the harsh rising light. The central lotus was larger than the rest. Tall spires rose out of the center. The metal city. She could already feel the energy of the refined earth, rumbling in her core.

"It's because of you that we're here, Vee. You're going to do great things."

She felt her father's hand on her shoulder.

She turned her head and nodded slightly. After a brief moment, she returned her focus back to the city. It glittered in the light like a promise; reflected in the deep waters of her heart like a wish. Nothing would ever be the same. She would do great things.

She was eight years old.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure you don't want to take a nap first, honey? You've been up all night."<p>

"I'm fine," she said flatly, resolutely, in the way that she knew would work. She was horribly tired, but she didn't want to sleep. She wouldn't be able to even if she tried. The metallic energy all around her was too much to bear. She wondered if every metalbender felt like this, when they came to Zaofu for the first time.

They disembarked from the airship and followed the path down a long flight of stairs that led to a giant courtyard. The architecture took Kuvira's breath away. They were surrounded by white-metal pillars, beautifully shaped and arced across sculpted gardens and flowing streams set into the shining metal panels in the ground. It was like walking into another world. A tall woman in a flowing dark green robe approached them.

"Are you the new arrivals?"

"Yes. We're from Ba Sing Se."

"Welcome to Zaofu. I'm Sen." She bowed slightly, and her dark hair fell across one bright green eye. She raised her hand up to brush the hair out of her face as she rose.

_Even the people are different. _Kuvira stared up at her. The bracelet around Sen's wrist vibrated slightly. She glanced at her bracelet and then looked down at Kuvira. She smiled.

"You must be Kuvira."

Kuvira nodded.

"We're always happy to take new metalbenders into the fold." Sen turned and motioned to a stationary rail car in the distance. "If you'd come with me, I can show you around."

They followed her and sat in one of the front compartments. The rail car was slow to start, but eventually it kept a good pace. The track went back around the landing pad and twisted off towards the central compound. They passed a smaller compound off to the right. Kuvira could see people in the distance, bending a giant sheet of metal atop a building into what seemed to be a roof.

"Even after two years, there's still plenty of active construction projects," Sen remarked idly as she followed Kuvira's gaze.

"Amazing," her mother said in awe, "and it's all made out of metal?"

"Well, most of it. The defensive panels and perimeter wall are, but probably not most beds or couches." Sen looked down at Kuvira and winked. Kuvira felt fuzzy. She felt at home. These were her people, and she felt like she finally belonged.

"What are they building?"

"A stadium. For sport." Sen paused and watched the roof curve around the wide building. "And the northern compound is for the artist's conclave."

"In Ba Sing Se, artistic endeavors are relegated to the court," Kuvira's father mentioned sullenly. Her mother clasped his hand. Sen looked back at them, and her eyes softened.

"In Zaofu, all that is asked of us is that every individual live up to their full potential. Our matriarch, Suyin Beifong, has encouraged us to follow those deepest desires, so that we may strive to be the best possible version of ourselves."

Kuvira stared at her. She wanted to say something, but she didn't have any time. The rail car passed the central compound and she turned her head just in time to see an expertly sculpted statue of a woman standing in a robe, holding the Metal Clan insignia above her head.

"Toph Beifong," Sen said, as if answering a question no one had the courage to ask. "Suyin's mother. The very first metalbender. She's the reason Zaofu exists at all. I've heard that she's planning to visit the city soon, to see her daughter's progress."

Kurvira turned her head to look at the statue even as the rail car passed it. Toph Beifong. Suyin Beifong. Important people. Powerful people with a purpose. She rolled the names around in her mind, and they cascaded through her thoughts like a thick fog.

"Maybe someday you'll get to meet her," Sen remarked as she looked down at Kuvira.

"I'd like that," Kuvira replied. She looked out the window, but eventually her focus shifted, and in the window she saw not the land before her, but her own reflection. She looked at herself. Her eyebrows, the mole at her cheek. The way her dark hair fell down one side of her face. Someday, she thought, she would make for a great statue.


	2. Chapter 2 - Purple Light

_171 AG_

Suyin's guest house had such a wonderful view of the city. Kuvira watched as tiny flickers of light entered the room at either end of the closed curtains at the large window. She tried to imagine what it must look like outside on such a cold, bright, windy day. She could hear the breeze blowing through the trees, and the waterfall at the edge of the grounds flowing down onto rocks. The metal chimes hanging on the porch outside were making pretty sounds as they knocked against each other in the wind, and she thought she could hear a game of power disc being played off in the distance.

She felt entirely at peace in the darkened room. The room she'd come to in the morning after arriving at rehearsal only to find that Suyin had cancelled. Kuvira hadn't been able to hide her smile as she took a rail car to Suyin's estate. They had certainly perfected this game of theirs. No more meaningful glances after rehearsal, or just before the end of Kuvira's watch. When Suyin cancelled dance rehearsal, Kuvira knew where to go.

Using the guest house had been Kuvira's idea, but it was Suyin who made it happen.

Kuvira could still taste Suyin on her lips. She turned her head to look at her as she slept. Her eyes were soft. A dreamless sleep. Suyin didn't seem to ever have trouble sleeping. Kuvira couldn't help but be a little jealous. Sleep had never come easily for her.

Of course, in Suyin's bed she had always slept like a rock.

Even with Suyin's eyes closed, and her lips sealed, and her breathing soft and shallow, Kuvira couldn't say the words. She swallowed up the words that wanted to spill out, uncontrollably, and scatter themselves across the floor like tiny pieces of paper. Impossible to pick back up; impossible to ignore.

She knew that words were just empty air.

Kuvira touched Suyin's cheek. She thought her hand might feel cold, but Suyin didn't open her eyes. They stayed shut, and her lips stayed slightly parted. Those lips. A shiver ran up Kuvira's spine. Those lips knew her; knew her more than she knew herself. She sucked in a sharp breath.

Everything still felt like a dream. Had she really come this far? From a shack in Ba Sing Se to Suyin Beifong's bed? But it was more than that.

It was so much more than that.

Purple light. Kuvira noticed it first in thin lines on the wall, and as she turned her head towards the window the light got deeper and brighter. She slipped out from under the covers and pushed herself off the bed. She stepped over to the window and pulled back the curtain.

The sky was glowing. Purple, with green and blue streaks in the sky. She pulled the curtain wider and stared up in awe. It was terrible and beautiful at the same time. A memory clicked into place in her mind and she realized what she was looking at.

"Spirit lights…" Suyin whispered from behind her. She turned her head. Suyin had pulled herself up to sit in bed. Her eyes were wide as she stared up at the sky.

"Above Zaofu?" Kuvira said severely, and she turned her head back. "Why?"

"I don't know," Suyin said, sounding worried. She stood up and started to put her clothing back on. Kuvira did the same.

"I need to get on the coms," Suyin said quickly. Her expression was hardened, determined. The softness that had come with sleep had faded away.

"Let me come with you," Kuvira stood up straighter. She was in her dance clothing, but her face was that of a soldier.

"I'm… I need to check in with my family first," Suyin said, looking away quickly, "I don't think you should join me."

Kuvira could hear the thinly veiled guilt in Suyin's voice and it made her stomach take a turn. She set her jaw, and kept her expression as blank as possible.

"Right," she said coolly. "I'll start preparing the guard for full lock-down."

"Thank you. I'll catch up with you later," Suyin said, and she hurried across the room to give the younger woman a brief hug and a peck on the cheek. When Suyin pulled away, they looked into each other's eyes briefly. The spirit lights played on her face. Kuvira's own expression was backlit by them, and dark with shadow.

After Suyin made her exit, Kuvira turned back to the window and looked up at the sky. The eerie purple glow was unsettling. It made Kuvira feel a deep sense of dread. She forced the feeling away.

It wasn't supposed to turn out like this.

It was then that she looked down, across the garden. Opal Beifong was standing quite still, staring back at her. Kuvira recognized her, though the two of them had never exchanged more than a few words. Opal's eyes were wide, and her lips were thin. She had seen everything.

Kuvira smirked.


	3. Chapter 3 - Reading Between the Lines

_164 AG_

Kuvira made sure she arrived early to the Recital Compound. She hadn't slept well the night before. Mostly she was just tossing and turning, waiting for the next day to arrive, so getting out of bed was relatively easy. She left just before dawn and took the earliest rail car to the newly-built compound.

She stood by the rail car's window and paged through a newspaper. The featured article was about Suyin Beifong's newest creative endeavor—the very first metalbending dance troupe. The article went on to talk about her children and their various recent achievements. Her youngest ones, two twin boys, had already invented an entirely new metalbending sport, and it was so new that they hadn't even named it yet.

Kuvira studied the article carefully. She had always found Zaofu's matriarch intriguing, but she was hardly ever in the press. Her affairs were kept mostly private, and Kuvira realized the only reason she had probably volunteered to run the story at all was to create awareness for her new dance troupe. Clever.

She stepped off the rail car and hurried up the expanding stairway towards the dance hall. She pushed the tall door open and looked around. Like all the buildings in Zaofu, this one had been breathtakingly designed. It was also empty. A large metal sculpture of a lotus stood in the middle of the hall. She dropped her bag by a sculpted pillar near the middle of the hall and started to wrap athletic tape up one of her wrists. A few minutes later, a door opened at the other side of the building.

"Well, I didn't expect anyone to be here yet."

Kuvira glanced up to see Suyin Beifong approaching her. Kuvira had expected this. She looked back down, focusing on the slow surety of her hands are she wrapped the tape around her forearm tightly.

"I wanted to get here early."

"But you know, it's not first come, first serve," Suyin said lightly as she walked towards the middle of the hall. She was wearing a modified version of the dark green formal robes Kuvira had always seen her wearing in photographs. They fit her more tightly and were sleeveless at the arms.

"I'm aware of that." Kuvira said resolutely, but she couldn't help but smirk. She raised her eyes to meet Suyin's for a brief moment before returning to taping her arm. Suyin peered at her.

"Hm, you look familiar. Were you in Huan's group at the artist conclave's last show?"

Kuvira looked up and nodded once. She hadn't expected Suyin to remember her. They had only met very briefly, and it had been over a year ago.

"Kuvira, was it?"

Suyin had remembered her name.

"That's right," Kuvira said, and then paused. Things had gotten interesting very quickly. She'd take her chances.

"Art is such a profound tool, don't you think?" Kuvira said idly as she reached down to tape up her ankles. She could feel Suyin's eyes on her; watching her. She continued talking, controlling the speed of her voice.

"To transform our surroundings, selectively and with great care, until we create something that another person can comprehend, and respond to emotionally."

She bent down further. She had always been naturally flexible. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Suyin look away.

"But a work of art isn't a living thing. We can see it and touch it, but it won't respond to us. It's a one-way street. In the end…" she said, voice rising somewhat as she rose to stand at her full height, "its people that matter."

"Is that why you left the conclave?" Suyin replied curiously.

Kuvira smiled slightly. She realized that Suyin knew much more about her than she was letting on. Kuvira supposed that knowing, on some level, about all the members of her clan was part of her job.

"It's why I'm here."

Suyin looked at Kuvira thoughtfully. Kuvira had time to notice the finer details of her face. The exact shade of green that her eyes were, and the laugh lines beneath them and around her mouth. The way her greying hair curled, slightly longer on one side. The curve of her lips. The newspaper photographs didn't do her justice.

"Well, Kuvira," Suyin said, as the doors opened and other people started to wander in, "Let's see what you've got."

Suyin stood before the assembled group.

"First of all, thank you, everyone, for coming. I didn't expect such a turnout, especially since I've been keeping mostly to myself these past few years. Raising children can be… a challenge at times."

Suyin smiled while the people gathered around her laughed lightly. Her smile was somehow both apologetic and charming at the same time. It pulled at Kuvira in a way she hadn't expected. She took note of it, and wondered if she could pull off a similar expression if she tried.

"I've wanted to create a dance troupe for a long time since the creation of Zaofu, but I wanted to do it right." Suyin's gaze rested on Kuvira for a moment. The younger woman froze. She couldn't help but appreciate Suyin's speaking voice; her demeanor. She had such a commanding presence, and it was so completely different from when they had talked alone in the hall just a moment ago.

"I'm prepared to put my heart and soul into this, and make something truly amazing. I'm hoping that everyone who's here wants to do the same. So! With that out of the way, let's get started."

Kuvira looked around quickly to size up the competition. An even mix of men and women of varying ages and body types. There was only one other girl around her age, with short, light brown hair. She didn't seem to pose much of a threat. Kuvira could feel her muscles vibrating with the pent up energy she'd been holding in since last night.

"As you all know, there are only a limited number of slots, so it's important that I handpick this first group. There will be secondary and tertiary groups for the ones who don't make the cut."

"Brutal," the girl with the short brown hair muttered. Kuvira didn't turn her head.

"There are two types of roles I need," Suyin continued and she turned to look at the large metallic petal sculpture at the center of the room.

"One of them will make use of some advanced bending techniques. The other is more acrobatic-focused, lots of jumping, balancing, and flying through the air."

"I'd like you to decide for yourselves which role you'd like to play. Benders to the right. Acrobats to the left." She spread out her arms to motion to the left and right of her. People started to move. Kuvira watched the girl who had spoken earlier head over to the acrobat side. In fact, most of the acrobats were the younger, more athletically built members of the group, whereas the bending side consisted mainly of older, stockier men and women.

She walked over to the bender side. She could feel Suyin's eyes on her once again. Most of the people in the group were staring at her, in fact. She fought to conceal her smirk and tried to look as humble as possible. She wanted these people to like her.

"Alright, good," Suyin turned to the bending group and smiled. "All of you should be able to easily manipulate the petal behind me, with rhythmic control and precision. Observe."

Suyin demonstrated. Kuvira had never seen her bend in person before. She had to tear her eyes away from Suyin's flowing form. The way her muscles flexed and coiled as she twisted her arms burned itself into Kuvira's mind like spears of lightning against a dark sky.

The lotus had opened, in much the same way that the giant lotus-like compounds they lived in opened every morning. It expanded beautifully, and the petals flipped upwards. Kuvira understood the whole of the dance before Suyin had finished, without even having to see the acrobatic part. They were going to use the metal as a springboard.

Suyin's eyes flashed, sharp and green, and in one final movement the lotus closed. She turned, and Kuvira couldn't help but steal a glance.

"Like that," she said, and then she stepped aside.

Kuvira waited until the very end to take her turn. It was the obvious thing to do. When she was finally up, she stepped forward and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath in and focused. When her eyes opened, they were narrowed with a terrible determination.

She had read between the lines of Suyin's demonstration. What she hadn't told them, was that it wasn't just the metal that they needed to control. This was a dance, after all. Their movements mattered, maybe even more than the metal itself.

She channeled the metal, and each time she sent it curving upwards or arcing back down, her own body moved with equal fluidity and grace. Time, space, and everything else melted away around her. Nothing else mattered. There was only this moment. Her performance. A performance she suddenly realized she was doing for Suyin alone.

When she was finished, she could vaguely hear applause, far off in the distance. She turned her head and looked straight at Suyin. Her expression said everything. _This is what I've got._


	4. Chapter 4 - Out of Place

_171 AG_

Kuvira glanced at a newspaper on the edge of a rail car seat beside her. The Avatar peered back at her from within the black and white photograph. Kuvira's eyes scanned the headline.

_Avatar Saves the World._

The truth about the purple light had traveled slowly, and before any of them knew exactly what it was, it had already faded away. Harmonic Convergence was over. The world had been saved, and the spirit portal had been left open.

There would be change.

Kuvira looked towards the window. Her reflection, tinted orange in the dying light, stared back at her.

_"I don't think you should join me."_

The words surfaced once again from the depths of her. She felt them like a knee to the stomach, or a fist to the jaw. The words were sharp, and they cut her to pieces. The memory of Suyin's voice, thick with guilt. The way her eyes looked, so heavy with pity. The memory of their last meeting bled out of her, to seep between the cracks. She turned away from the window suddenly.

A young girl was sitting on her mother's lap, staring up at Kuvira with her mouth wide. Kuvira tried to smile.

They had arrived. She stepped off the platform and stood still for a moment, looking up at the Beifong Estate. The night sky was growing, and behind the interconnected buildings stars were starting to shine in the sky. She took a step forward, and then another. She focused herself in the same way she did before dance recitals.

After the good news about the Harmonic Convergence's outcome, Suyin had decided to host a last-minute celebration dinner at her estate. Hosting dinner parties was typical Suyin, but she had never thrown one so large. Kuvira was going, not as a guest, but as Captain of the City Guard. It wasn't that Zaofu really needed security internally, but if she was going to have to be around crowds of people in close quarters, she'd rather be in armor.

Even from across the courtyard, she could hear the laughter and jovial voices echoing into the deepening night. As she neared the side entrance, she could smell roasted vegetables, spices and grilled fish. She ducked inside and walked down a dimly lit hall. She stopped at the door and took a deep breath. Then, she pushed the door open and stepped inside the room.

The lights were perfectly bright, warm and inviting. Then, there was the music. Metallic instruments, manipulated with a master's skill. The dining hall was filled with people, all of them dressed in their finest formal robes. Suyin had outdone herself again.

Kuvira felt out of place, dislodged from somewhere safe to spiral in space. Still, she couldn't deny that she enjoyed the eyes upon her, following her as she moved with a practiced surety towards one end of the room to settle against the wall, her arms folding across her chest commandingly.

Eventually, through the crowd, Kuvira spotted Suyin. She hadn't been trying to look for her. She was content with just watching the swell of people interacting with each other. She wanted to look away when she finally spotted her, but she couldn't. From afar, in her house, hosting a party, with the glow of the lights playing on her face—she was beautiful.

Suyin was sitting with her family at the table. Her husband was beside her. He was talking to her, and something he said had made Suyin laugh. Kuvira watched as Suyin leaned over to kiss him on the cheek.

Kuvira watched. She felt a million miles away. She felt like she was watching a scene in a mover. Everything was blurry. She felt like she was far beneath the sea, and the weight was more than she could bear.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Opal stand up and step across the threshold onto the balcony. Suyin's daughter disappeared behind the curtains. Kuvira pushed herself off the wall and followed her.

Opal was down by the far end of the balcony. It was the side that looked out away from the city into the wilderness. It was a direction Kuvira didn't look towards very often. Kuvira approached her. Opal had her back to her. Kuvira noticed that Opals hands were gripping the metallic railing tightly. She smiled to herself.

"Are you enjoying the party?"

Opal didn't turn around. Her voice was cool and crisp, like an autumn breeze. "Yes, it's wonderful."

Kuvira put her hands on her hips and followed Opal's gaze. There were a few wolfbats flying up into the sky. She could barely pick them out against the darkness, but they were there all the same.

"Too many people, if you ask me. I'd rather be reading."

Opal turned her head ever so slightly to look back at the older woman. Kuvira saw the chance shining like a coin beneath muddy waters. She took it.

"Opal, I need ask you something."

Opal slowly turned to face her. She looked up at her. Her eyes were green, just like Suyin's, but they were wide with hesitation. She was waiting for Kuvira to continue.

Kuvira took a step forward, and she lowered her voice. "I'm not going to tell you to do anything one way or the other, but I need to know if you've told anyone… about what you saw."

"How could I tell anyone?" Opal whispered, sounding lost. Her eyes narrowed sullenly. "Who could I tell? What would I say?"

Kuvira felt relieved, but she didn't let it show. "I know how much you value honesty, but if you care for your family you'll let it slide. You'd destroy them."

Opal's expression was hard and thoughtful, but any resolve she might have had faded into a helpless shrug. She sighed and her eyes closed for a moment. Kuvira could see the cogs of her mid turning. Opal was thinking it through. Kuvira could smell the win.

"You're right, but that doesn't mean what you did is okay." Opal looked up at her, her eyes were shining green with liquid fire. "Stay away from us."

Kuvira's lips curved into a smirk. Her eyes narrowed, and she nodded her head once before she made her most formal soldier's bow. Opal walked past her and disappeared behind the curtain. Kuvira turned to watch her go.

Just as she was about to go back inside, she heard footsteps on the balcony above her. Suyin's laughter was bittersweet as it flooded her ears and echoed into the night.

"You're not really going to bed, are you?"

"I've got a project review tomorrow. Two of them, actually," Suyin's husband replied sheepishly.

Silence. Kuvira tilted her head upwards to listen.

"Well, I'm just celebrating that the worlds been saved, but I know there are more important things," Suyin's voice was teasing, playful. She wasn't angry.

"I'm sorry," Bataar murmured. Kuvira could barely hear him, but she could hear the ruffled clothing as they embraced. "Next time, for sure."

After Bataar left, Suyin followed. Kuvira stood still. She realized she'd been standing around a lot lately. Frozen in time, unsure of her direction. She hated being so indecisive. It wasn't like her. It was weak.

She went back inside and turned down a hallway.

She had a pretty good idea where to find Suyin.


	5. Chapter 5 - Keeping Still

_171 AG_

Kuvira snapped awake. The sound of the knocking at her door had mixed into her dream. Her heart had been beating, hard and fast, pumping blood through her body. She had felt powerful. She had felt in control. What had she been doing?

She couldn't remember.

She pushed herself out of bed. The light pouring in from the opened blinds made her head pound. As she passed the mirror in her bedroom she noted that she had fallen asleep in her uniform. The knocking hadn't stopped. She narrowed her eyes and frowned.

"Alright. Alright!"

She pulled the door open. Yishu stood there with her hands on her hips.

"You're kidding me, right?"

"What—" Kuvira took a step backwards.

"Where have you been?" Yishu demanded, taking a step forwards as her sharp blue eyes took Kuvira in.

"…Sleeping."

"In uniform?"

Kuvira said nothing. Yishu suddenly looked amused.

"Did you forget what day it is?"

"Apparently."

"It's match day. I had to get you moved into the second bracket."

Kuvira turned her head to the side. "I don't feel like it." She was frowning, and to anyone else she would have looked very standoffish.

Yishu saw right through it.

"Denied. You're going. You owe me, _Captain._"

Kuvira gave up and let out a heavy sigh. She grabbed her things and followed Yishu out into the street.

"Sleeping past noon. That's not the Kuvira I know. Must have been a crazy party."

"Something like that."

* * *

><p><em>Suyin's library had smelled like old books. The room itself was large and round. The walls were covered in bookcases, and there was a rolling ladder that led up to a second story. The curtains were drawn, and the candles had been hastily lit.<em>

_"Hold me closer."_

_"You're a lazy dancer." Kuvira murmured teasingly into Su's hair. _

_"Well, we can't both lead." Su replied tenderly._

_"So out of the goodness of your heart you've given me the honor?"_

_Suyin's soft laughter touched Kuvira in all of the right places. She could feel the warmth of Su's body as the older woman pressed herself up against her. _

_"Have you talked to Opal lately?" Kuvira couldn't help but ask. Dangerous territory, but she had to know._

_"No. Not lately. I've been busy." Su replied abruptly; uncomfortably._

* * *

><p>She's been avoiding you.<em> Kuvira thought the words in her head angrily. She wanted to pursue the conversation, but Su's face was so soft. Her hair smelled lovely. Her soft hands clutched at Kuvira's muscular shoulders. And just like that, Kuvira's anger dripped off of her, like water off of slanted steel. <em>

Kuvira set herself down at the octagonal table like a warlord might sit at in a map room. Her clever eyes narrowed as she scanned the board. Across from her, Shin raised his head and placed his fist beneath it. She knew he was only pretending to look thoughtful. He was waiting for her to make the next move and nothing more.

She flicked her wrist meaningfully. A number of sculpted metal game pieces flew across the board. Only the most advanced players would be able to pick up on her methods. To most, her pieces seemed to be haphazardly dispersed across the board. Shin sat back and stared.

She had been an avid game player when she first moved to Zaofu. Trounce was the only game she continued to study, now that she had moved on to bigger and better things. She had been told she had a natural aptitude for it. She didn't disagree. Shin didn't seem like he would disagree either.

"Your move."

* * *

><p><em>"I want you."<em>

_Su had pulled herself up to whisper the words into Kuvira's ear. She still whispered, even when they were alone. Her voice blew sharp electric sparks through Kuvira's mind, and she could think of nothing else than how Su's lips had felt as they brushed against her ear._

_She wanted her, too._

_The Captain's hands slid down the Matriarch's neck, and along her slim shoulders. She grasped on to her upper arms and held her steadily; possessively, as she tilted her head down to kiss her. Su's eyes fluttered shut, and she pressed herself even closer. When Su started to use her tongue Kuvira couldn't help herself. She moaned into the kiss, and her hands went down, rough and desperate against the fabric of Su's lavish robes._

_Why can't want be enough?_

* * *

><p>After the match, Yishu took Kuvira out for dinner, but neither of them were that hungry, so dinner turned into drinks.<p>

"Oh man, Shin's face at the end was classic! You _destroyed_ him."

"Mm." Kuvira murmured. She was looking out the window. It was raining, and the glint of the rain in the sun against the metal hurt her eyes.

"Okay, I'm enjoying it way too much. I realize this." Yishu said idly as she took a big swig of her drink.

"It's fine. I haven't felt like myself lately."

"Maybe the purple light thing fucked with your head. I read something about that in the Daily."

Kuvira turned to look at her. "Don't read the Daily. It's trash."

Yishu shrugged and took a sip of her drink. "You want noodles?"

Kuvira shook her head. She had known Yishu for almost 10 years, but it didn't matter. She couldn't talk to her about that kind of thing. Opal's hesitant, fearful faced flashed before her mind. Her angry eyes. _Stay away from us. _

Kuvira couldn't blame her.

Maybe the purple light _had _done something. Everything seemed wrong. Different than before. Or maybe it had always been like this, and it really _was_ she who had changed.

She couldn't tell what the truth was anymore.

All she could do was feel.

* * *

><p><em>With their clothing off, the difference in their body types became more obvious. Kuvira was bigger, more muscular, and her curves were slight. Su was toned, but she was shorter and more petite. They both shared the tell-tale signs of a dancer's build, but Kuvira had grown into the role of a soldier, and Su had grown into the role of a mother. <em>

_Su pushed the Captain of the Guard down onto the lavish couch by the window of the darkened library. Kuvira enjoyed Su's rough side. She looked up at her, her eyes lidded and dark with need. Su straddled her, and then she leaned down to kiss her. Their kiss was less controlled this time, and Kuvira's hands roamed Su's naked body. She dragged her nails lightly up the older woman's back, and she could feel Su's body tense up above her._

_"Mm..." Su murmured as she leaned back. She raised her hands above her head and pressed herself down against Kuvira. Kuvira lifted her hips up in turn. Su bit down lightly at the bottom of her lip as one of Kuvira's hands found her nipple between thumb and forefinger. Her other hand rose to Su's face, and Su took Kuvira's wrist in her own two hands and pulled her fingers closer. She kissed the dark-haired woman's knuckles, and then she ran her tongue along the tip of one finger before she pressed it between her lips. Kuvira shuddered._

* * *

><p>"What?"<p>

They were walking back to her place. It was already dark.

"I said, the Daily said Varrick is coming to Zaofu." Yishu was holding a copy of the Daily in her hand.

"Who?"

"Wow. Really?" Yishu stared at her.

Kuvira didn't look amused.

"You need to read the Daily. Seriously. You can't just read the Press. Broaden your horizons, or something. Zaofu isn't the only city in the world, y'know."

Kuvira's frown deepened.

"Anyway, that Varrick guy is a wanted criminal in Republic City, but he's coming to Zaofu to take refuge."

Kuvira laughed derisively. "He thinks Suyin will give him a pass, just like that?"

"She already has," Yishu said. Kuvira turned her head to stare at her.

* * *

><p><em>Su's breath was hot against her inner thigh, and it was driving her wild. The older woman bit Kuvira's toned flesh lightly, and then she looked up at her. Her eyes had a depth Kuvira only saw when they were together like this. There was a playful knowing, a cleverness. She knew how much Kuvira wanted this, and she was relishing in it. Kuvira reached down, and her fingers stroked Su's hair.<em>

_Su moved her face closer, and Kuvira drew in a sharp breath when she felt Su's lips brush against her as she smiled. Then, she opened her mouth and kissed her. Soft, wet kisses right on her outer lips. Kuvira's body tensed up, and she let out a breathy sigh. _

_Su's tongue was clever. She knew Kuvira like the back of her hand, exactly what to do and where to go. The slow, rough circles she was making with her tongue were already too much, and Kuvira slammed her eyes shut. "Y-yes," she heard herself choke out the words, moaning them into the silence of the library. The party hadn't ended. There were people down the hall, probably wondering where their host had gone off to. Bataar would be asleep by now. And Opal. Well, Kuvira just hoped Opal wasn't sneaking around again._

_She reached down, and the fingers that had been resting on Su's head tangled themselves into the older woman's silver hair. She guided her, moving her hips against Su's mouth. She was already there—trying her best to hold out._

_She opened her eyes. Su was looking up at her. Her eyes said it all. She wanted Kuvira to come. Kuvira obeyed. How could she do otherwise? Her abs and her thighs tensed, and she jerked her hips as a guttural moan tore itself from her throat._

_When Su had finished, Kuvira was still shivering with residual energy. She pushed herself up and pressed her back against the couch. Her heart was pounding in her chest. Su rose from her knees and sat in Kuvira's lap. Kuvira slowly rose her eyes up to look at her._

* * *

><p>"…So I told him to fuck off," Yishu exclaimed defiantly as Kuvira opened the door to her apartment and walked inside.<p>

"Brutal." Kuvira muttered.

Yishu stood in the doorway to Kuvira's apartment. She looked around. It was pristine. Minimally furnished. Tasteful, but to a fault. It almost looked like no one actually lived there.

Kuvira sat down heavily on the couch and put her arms across the back.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Yishu said, sounding unsure.

Kuvira looked at her, nearly startled by the question.

"I'm fine," she said flatly.

"Alright. Well, I'll see you at rehearsal."

"Yeah."

Yishu hesitated in the threshold of the entrance way for a moment, but she eventually turned and shut the door behind her. Kuvira listened to the echo of her footsteps as she walked through the courtyard.

* * *

><p><em>Don't make me leave.<em>

_That's what she had wanted to say, after they had finished. She sat against the couch, with Su's head resting on her shoulder. Su had a habit of dozing off afterwards, and usually she fell asleep somehow on top of Kuvira, so that the Captain had to keep very still to make sure she didn't wake her._

_She knew what would happen, once Su woke up. She would put her uniform back on. She would leave through the side entrance, before the sun rose. She would take the rail car back to her compound. She would walk down the empty streets, alone. The thought of the bed at her apartment popped into her mind. That would be where she slept, if sleep came at all._

_Kuvira kept very still, so as not to wake her._


	6. Chapter 6 - Do You Mean It?

_171 AG_

That night, Kuvira dreamt.

She opened her eyes to darkness. Complete darkness. Full, and deep, and hollow. At first she thought she had lost her sight, but when she tried blinking she could feel her eyelashes touching a soft fabric.

She realized she had been blindfolded.

She instinctively tried to raise her hands up to her face. Her wrists scraped against cold metal, and she realized her hands had been bound behind her back. Her mind snapped into defensive mode and she tried to bend the metal off, but it wouldn't budge. Her breathing quickened, and she strained the muscles in her arms and shoulders as she tried to pull her wrists apart. The metal cut into her skin and she hissed in pain.

"You're finally awake." Su's voice came from somewhere behind her. The sound of her lover's voice didn't put Kuvira completely at ease, but at least she knew who was responsible.

"What the hell is this, Su?" She growled.

"Are you angry with me? That's funny, considering you asked me to do this." Kuvira turned her head back at the sound of Su climbing onto the bed behind her. She suddenly became aware of her current position—face down, on her knees with her ass in the air. She shivered, realizing she was completely naked. Her hands had been bound behind her back, so all she could do was rest her upper body against the bed by her shoulders and chest. She smiled a horrible smile, baring her teeth. At any other time it would have seemed threatening.

"Oh, you _are_ angry," Su said thickly, her voice lowering as she neared her. Kuvira jumped at the touch of Su's hand. The older woman ran her fingers along Kuvira's flesh, starting from the back of her calf and trailing her nails up along her ass, "Beautiful."

"I'm sure I didn't ask for this," Kuvira choked out. Su's hand was resting heavily on her ass. "Let me go."

"That's not going to happen."

Su slowly raised her hand into the air, and Kuvira flinched instinctively. She knew what was coming.

* * *

><p>Kuvira woke up from the dream, covered in a cold sweat.<p>

She stared up at the ceiling blankly, trying to think. The dream had been so vivid. Too vivid. The dawn light was just starting to creep into her room. She turned her head, watching as the light grew. Just before the sun had completely risen, she rolled out of bed. She snatched a newly purchased copy of the Daily from the table and walked out onto her balcony to sit at the solitary chair against the sliding glass door.

She pulled the paper open, still not entirely able to believe Yishu had talked her into reading it. The headline story caught her eye.

_Earth Queen Rocks Mining Town_

She started reading the story, and before she had time to be surprised, she was completely engrossed.

And just like that, she pushed the dream back down into the deep recesses of her mind.

* * *

><p>Dancing always seemed to make things better. Even when Yishu was giving her the "what the hell is up with you lately" face at the same time that Suyin shot a meaningful look her way, dancing allowed her to let go of everything and just be.<p>

Even after she switched from the role of bender to acrobat, nothing had really changed. If anything, the increased physical demands on her body only drove her further into her own mind. Feeling the sweat rolling down her neck, along the straining muscles in her shoulders and back. Hearing the pounding blood rushing through her veins. Her controlled breathing. The way her surroundings blurred as she flew past them.

Sometimes, she found herself smiling.

The showers and dressing rooms were in a connected building behind the rehearsal hall. She didn't bother showering. She'd just be heading straight to night duty, and pulling the huge protective petals up around the city always made her work up a sweat. She toweled down her forehead and started to change into her uniform. Yishu was dressing into casual clothing behind her.

"When do you get off tonight?" Yishu asked idly.

Kuvira pressed the towel up against her neck. "Late. Why?"

"We're going to Orihana's tonight, thought you might be interested."

"That place is still open?" How long had it been? She hadn't been there since Su and she had…

"Yep. Normally I wouldn't bother, but you've been looking so down lately so I had to ask."

"And you think that Orihana's is going to solve all my problems?"

"No, but it might help you forget them for a little while. Anyway, I've gotta run. You locking up?"

"Yeah," Kuvira said distantly.

Forget. That would be nice, but how long could it possibly last? She shook her head and pulled her uniform over her head. Once she could see again, she noticed Su had joined her, a few benches down.

It was just the two of them. Alone, together. Kuvira turned her head.

The Matriarch of Zaofu was facing the wall. She pulled her dancing top off over her head.

"Jin hasn't been up to par, lately. Have you spoken with him?" It was so easy for Suyin to control the conversation. Kuvira could feel herself already stepping in line.

"His grandmother passed, not too long ago." Kuvira said tonelessly.

"Ah, I hadn't realized," Suyin said, more quietly.

"I'll talk with him. He'll be on duty with me tonight."

"Oh, that's right. I forgot you were on."

"…Did you have other plans for me?" Kuvira asked, feeling stupid even as she said it.

Suyin looked down. She reached into her bag and held the jeweled necklace that usually hung around her forehead in her hand.

"I… had to give Varrick the guest house."

Kuvira's heart stumbled. She could feel the bottom drop out from her stomach. She smiled and made her way over to the older woman. Her boots echoed in the nearly empty room as she walked towards her.

"I didn't care for the guest house that much anyway," she said in a low voice, stopping to stand closely behind Su. She raised her hand up and trailed her fingers along Su's side. Her skin was soft and warm.

"What are you…" Su began, but her voice trailed off as Kuvira's hand rose upwards. Her strong fingers wrapped themselves around Su's neck. She could feel Su's throat working as she swallowed, and the faint beating of her heart pressed up into her fingers from beneath her veins. She tightened her grip and leaned forward, and her lips found Su's bare shoulder.

"This isn't right. We shouldn't…" Su gasped, barely able to say the words as Kuvira's lips pressed against her skin.

"You say that," Kuvira murmured playfully, "but do you mean it?" Su sucked in a sharp breath as Kuvira bit down, hard enough to leave a mark. Su's grip at the younger woman's thigh tightened, and she pressed against her. Kuvira growled with need and pushed Su up against the dressing room wall.

Su put her hands against the wall and pushed back, grinding her ass against Kuvira's thighs. Kuvira could feel the beating pulse at her neck growing faster. She reached her free hand up to Su's chest, deftly slipping her fingers up inside her bra and cupping one soft breast. She could feel Su shudder with delight. It reminded her of all the other times that she and Su had been together. They had slept in the same bed, woken up to the same view. It had been just enough. Those quiet nights in the guest house, with the cricket white-noise and running water off in the distance; the sound the Su's breathing as she drifted off to sleep. The guest house Suyin had given away.

Kuvira shut her eyes tightly. Su made a desperate-sounding noise as Kuvira's hand left her breast. The younger woman reached back and unsnapped the bra. It fell to the ground in silence. Then, her hand travelled back to Su's chest.

"Don't tease me too much," Su begged. She was moving her hips in that way that Kuvira knew so well; that way that told her just how much Su wanted it. She must have worked herself up into a frenzy during rehearsal. Kuvira hadn't even noticed. Her hand roamed downward, across Su's stomach, and lower.

They both drew in a breath when Kuvira's fingers found the hot, sensitive place between Su's legs. As Kuvira's fingers slowly explored, they inevitably became slick and wet. Su was practically shaking, and she pressed her hands hard into the wall to keep her balance. Kuvira wasn't worried. If she couldn't stand, she'd hold her up. If she lost her balance, she'd keep her steady.

As her fingers flicked against Su's more sensitive areas, she couldn't help but go back to the guest house. She tried to remember the words that had passed between them. She couldn't remember anything, and she hated herself for it. She wanted to believe that promises had been made. Whispered words beneath the moonlight. Words with meaning. Kuvira slowly opened her eyes.

Su choked out a moan and pushed herself up against Kuvira's fingers in time with her movements. She was strong, and Su liked it hard. It didn't take long for Kuvira to bring the older woman over the edge. Her body tensed up and she cried out as she came. The sound of it sent a jolt of desire deep into Kuvira's gut. She loosened her grip at Su's neck, and her hand fell down to hold Su steady.

Su turned to face her. Her face was flushed, and her lips were parted. She was breathing heavily, and her eyes were slits of dark, deep green. Kuvira brought her hand, the one she'd just gotten Su off with, up to her own lips. She licked her fingers. Su watched her in silence, and when Kuvira had finished, the older woman lowered herself down to her knees before her.

Kuvira stood quite still as Su pulled the Captain's pants and underwear down by the waistband. Now it was Kuvira's turn for her breathing and heartbeat to quicken, and her face to flush. Su could tell how bad she wanted it too, judging from the smile on her face as she leaned forward to give Kuvira a few well-placed kisses. Kuvira shuddered and pressed a fist up against the wall to hold herself up.

Her other hand was hanging limply at her side. Su reached up to clasp it, and their fingers became entwined. Su's other hand was gently pressing against Kuvira's thigh. The muscles twitched as Kuvira shifted her weight. Su squeezed Kuvira's hand, and then she started to use her tongue. Kuvira raised her head slightly and sighed with pleasure.

Still, she had forgotten so much. Four years. How many times had they been together? Not enough, but still, too much to keep inside. She had let her mind run free, and now that she was trying to reel it in she found she couldn't. The guest house was Su's to give. She had given it to her, and now she was giving it to someone else.

Kuvira came hard against Su's skillful tongue. The suddenness of it took her by surprise. The sound she made was animalistic, and it startled her when she heard it escape her lips. Su's eyes had been closed, but she opened them to look up at Kuvira, and Kuvira looked down at her in turn.

Kuvira smiled. She smiled to keep the words in. To keep the words from spilling out. The soft, gentle words. The harsh, hard words. The warm blanket words. The sharp knife words. The desperate need and the painful hurt, swirling beneath the dark waters at the edge of the cliff.


	7. Chapter 7 - An Empty Sky

_171 AG_

I won't look back.

I'm not going to turn my head to the side, or tilt my chin down and close my eyes. I'm standing in the front car of the maglev with my legs apart and my hands behind my back. A map of the Earth Kingdom hangs before me, but I'm looking beyond it. The muscles in my legs twitch as I hold myself upright against the wide turns.

It's easy to smile. It's easy to stand upright. The further away I am, the easier it gets. Distance is so powerful. I can only imagine what time will do.

There are slight vibrations, and out of the corner of my eye I can see the blur of the trees as I pass them and the mountains in the distance moving slowly away. All of it, so different and new. A new beginning. A fresh start.

_A chance to finally change things._

How could I not accept?

If I had known then, that our last time would really be the last time, would things have been different? If you knew too, would you have found a way to keep me locked inside your beautiful cage? I'm sure one of us would have broken; one of us would have given in.

But everything fell apart too quickly, and there wasn't any time to pick up the pieces.

Behind me, the sun is setting. The memory of the orange light reflecting against the silver metal opens up inside my heart like an old wound, and I'm bleeding out in a river behind me. It's a trail that I know you won't follow.

I was the one who has always followed.

If I look back now, I'll see Zaofu. My city. Your city. The city where you've decided to stay. I thought at first that if I looked back it would break my heart, and so I was afraid. But now I know the truth.

I'm afraid that if I look back I won't feel anything at all.

* * *

><p><em>171 AG<em>

Orihana's was more crowded than Kuvira had remembered it. She was surprised to find a line at the door, and squeezing through the press of bodies in her uniform was a challenge, but once she reached the second floor patio and she could breathe the fresh air, she felt better.

Yishu was sitting in a hammock with another woman. As Kuvira approached them, Yishu raised her glass.

"Kuvira! I didn't think you'd make it!" Yishu was grinning, probably already drunk. Kuvira couldn't help but smile. She sat down heavily in a cushioned chair across from them. She felt exhausted. After her "after hours" rendezvous with Su in the dressing room, she'd gone to do her shift. She managed it effortlessly. Being Guard Captain had come so naturally. Still, she had just been going through the motions. Her mind had been elsewhere. All she'd been able to think about was _her. _

"This is Sei. She's going to be planting with me next season," Yishu motioned to the woman sitting closely beside her in the hammock.

Sei raised her pipe in greeting, and a wispy cloud of smoke escaped her parted lips and traveled upwards through the sharp bangs of dirty blonde hair that outlined her face. She was slighter than Yishu, athleticism traded in for elegance.

"Yishu has told me a lot about you. All good things, of course." Sei's lips curved upwards. "Not like she needed to, though. Everyone in this city who doesn't live under a rock has heard of you."

Yishu laughed and nudged Sei in the shoulder. "I think she realizes that."

Kuvira grinned and crossed her legs at the knee, making a show of spreading her arms out to shrug nonchalantly. "Oh, I don't mind hearing how great I am."

"If I weren't so comfortable I'd get up and smack you," Yishu murmured.

Kuvira watched as Sei laughed and wrapped her arm around Yishu's shoulders. The memory of sharing that very same hammock with Yishu, all those years ago, struck Kuvira like a rail car.

She wanted a drink. Instead, she looked up.

The domes of Zaofu were a metallic black. Light from the buildings below cascaded off the geometric surfaces. The domes were impenetrable. A testament to the Zaofu's progress. Guaranteed safety, but for a price. The price was the light of the moon, or the sound of thunder off in the distance. Kuvira paid the price every night, when she looked up into the pitch black emptiness and felt it, reflected inside.

"Great? How about blind."

The three of them turned their heads in the direction of the voice. A group of people were sitting around a table at the other end of the patio, just within earshot. No one was looking towards them, so it was hard for Kuvira to tell who had said it. She sat up straighter.

"You know they only care about Zaofu. They don't even patrol outside the city."

Kuvira's heart beat hard in her chest. She glanced at Yishu and Sei. They were both watching her.

"Didn't even make an attempt to help that miner caravan stave off bandits, and it was right outside their door."

"Yeah. If you ask me. Suyin Beifong is no better than the Earth Queen."

Kuvira stood up suddenly, pushing the chair against the wall with a thundering slam. She stood there in silence, breathing steadily.

The man who had spoken looked up from his drink. His eyes were hard, but his teeth were bared in a threatening smile. Kuvira could tell in an instant that he wanted a fight. He wanted to provoke her. She decided not to play his game.

She turned and left the patio. She could hear Yishu calling her name as she rushed down the stairs and out the door. Everything was a blur. Outside, the air was cool, and there was a slight breeze as she launched down an alley towards the rail car station.

"You can't run away from this."

The same voice from before echoed down the alley from behind her. She stopped in her tracks and listened. She could hear hurried footsteps, and they were coming closer.

She turned slowly, and raised her fists up as she fell into her preferred fighting stance. She could feel the power of adrenaline arcing within her like electricity. Now that they were alone, she wouldn't have to be so careful.

"You're right," she said, and her eyes narrowed as she smirked, "I can't."

* * *

><p><em>171 AG<em>

There was a single light between them. Directly at the center of where the two women stood, quite still, in the dimly lit darkness just before dawn. There was just enough light to play upon their faces, highlighting their expressions in a warm yellow tinge.

Opal's stern look, eyes narrowed, lips thin and almost frowning. Shoulders and jaw set. Body stiff. Tense. Reactionary.

Kuvira's relaxed nonchalance, eyebrows raised, lips curved upwards. The bruise beneath her left eye from a few days before was just starting to heal, going from purple to blue to a yellowish-green.

They stood there in silence, cut into time like two iron sculptures.

"You're up early." Kuvira remarked. She tilted her head to one side.

"And you're off duty, Guard Captain. Why are you here?"

Kuvira controlled her gaze, and kept her voice even as she replied, slowly, "I need to speak with Suyin. It's urgent."

Opal looked like she wanted to laugh. "I can't believe you."

Alarms rang out in Kuvira's mind, and she could feel her heart starting to tighten up. She was in a dangerous position. She would need to choose her words carefully.

"What can't you believe? The Matriarch hasn't been to rehearsal or the city center since last week, so I haven't been able to speak with her. It's an urgent matter. I see nothing wrong with that."

Opal weighed Kuvira's words heavily, but her expression didn't relax like Kuvira had expected it would. Her eyes were still hard and dark. Kuvira started to walk forward, but when Opal spoke again she stopped.

"She hasn't been herself, and it's your fault."

"What are you saying?" Kuvira said, staring at her.

"Something's wrong with her! She hardly spoke at dinner last night, and she has been going to bed early. I tried to talk to her about it and she didn't even acknowledge it..." Opal's voice broke, she looked equal parts angry and desperate.

"What did you _do_ to her?" Opal asked, and that's when Kuvira saw the fear in her eyes. It was a familiar sight that had a strangely calming effect. Kuvira took a few steps forward. Opal took one step back.

"What do you think?"

Opal's bright green eyes widened. She looked away. Kuvira watched her.

"I… I can't do this anymore. I need to tell my dad."

Now it was Kuvira's turn to widen her eyes.

"We talked about this. You can't—"

"I'm not going to listen to _you_!"

Kuvira's vision blurred. The city around her was unhinged, and the metal was falling around her, or lifting into the sky. The domes were ripping themselves apart. The sky was dead and black. She could see Su's face, shameful and guilty as her family, her husband, the entire city… learned the truth. And they would know the truth about her, too.

"No!" Kuvira's voice rose uncontrollably. Opal flinched and looked suddenly very pale.

"Opal, you can't. You don't understand—"

"I do understand! You've tricked her, and now you're trying to see how far you can go. Well, it all ends now."

Opal started to turn back towards the estate, but Kuvira leapt forward and grabbed her by the shoulder, her hand slid down to clutch at Opal's delicate forearm. Kuvira's hand was strong and hard against her soft flesh. It was the wrong move, but what other choice did she have?

"You can't—!" Kuvira started, but the way Opal's body tensed up and her eyes narrowed gave Kuvira pause.

"Let _go_ of me!" Opal roared, and just before she had finished speaking she lifted her other hand up and suddenly, out of nowhere, a huge blast of wind came forth from her opened palm and slammed into Kuvira's chest. The metalbender fell backwards, landing hard on her back. Kuvira raised her head to look up at her.

"You're…an airbender." Kuvira struggled for the words. Opal had already taken a few more steps back, and then, her expression changed all at once. Kuvira saw the hurt and the pain and the desperation mixed with the confusion and the wonder at what she had just done. All of this in an instant, before the younger woman had turned and ran back to the estate.

Kuvira didn't follow her. She could taste rust in her mouth. She realized it was blood. Had she bitten her lip? She pulled herself together and shook her head. Whatever Opal did now, it was beyond her control. All she could do now was wait. The thought of it made her sick to her stomach.

She pushed herself up, onto her knees. She wanted to scream into the dark, empty night. The night bereft of stars and moon and sky. Her feelings, the words she couldn't quite say, and all the questions in between, all of it was bouncing off the walls of this perfectly designed cage.

And still, a part of her wanted to warmth of Su's bed, and the touch of her skin beneath the sheets as she slept beside her. She wanted to be the one Su thought about, while she took lonely rail car rides around the city. If she were stronger, she would climb the walls, or break them down. Instead, as the sun rose and the petals expanded, she went back to her apartment and slept.


	8. Chapter 8 - Forward

_164 AG_

Kuvira had made Suyin Beifong's starting group. This, she had expected. She knew her performance during tryouts had been impressive, and already she could feel the widening distance, mentally and physically, as most of the other troupe members saw her as unapproachable.

The only other person at tryouts who was near her age had also made it. Kuvira had initially been surprised by this. Her name was Yishu, and Kuvira was mostly annoyed by her presence.

Yishu seemed to think that their similar ages meant they had some sort of bond. She approached her before rehearsal and was always trying to persuade her into joining her afterwards for lunch. Kuvira, as a rule, arrived early and stayed late, and so she consistently refused.

"You should join her for lunch sometime," Suyin murmured in the emptying hall one morning after rehearsal. Kuvira turned her head to watch as Yishu and a few of the other troupe members passed through the heavy double doors, leaving the two of them alone.

"Why would I do that?" Kuvira asked idly after some hesitation. She was stripping the tape off of her forearm. She could sense out of the corner of her eye that Suyin was looking at her. She felt her gaze like a burn, and she suddenly became very self-aware. Her hair had fallen partly out of her braid, and she was slick with sweat. It wasn't that rehearsal was inherently challenging, she just pushed herself, every time, right to the edge. And just before she lost herself she always knew how to take a step back.

"She's the only one in the entire troupe who has the guts to try talking to you. Isn't that worth something?" Suyin asked with curious amusement.

"You talk to me."

Suyin smiled, but she said nothing more. Kuvira fell backwards into her own thoughts. Her exchanges with Suyin had all been the same. A few quick words, before or after rehearsal. Suyin talked with everyone, but she always seemed to save Kuvira for last. Still, their conversations never lasted too long. The words they exchanged were transparent and weightless. Simple words made in passing as the two of them geared up for the next activity of the day.

It always left Kuvira wanting more.

"See you tomorrow," Suyin said lightly as she walked towards the door. As she passed, she placed her hand upon Kuvira's shoulder.

"Great work, as always."

Kuvira turned her head ever so slightly. The feel of Suyin's fingers against her skin made her feel light-headed. She realized she had been holding her breath.

"Thanks."

When Suyin left and the door shut behind her, Kuvira was finally alone. She exhaled heavily and stood there in silence with a strip of tape hanging from her forearm. She stood there for a long time.

* * *

><p><em>171 AG<em>

The only place left to go is forward.

The track runs a circuit, but it's forward all the same.

People are starving, not more than a day out from Zaofu. They're fighting each other for scraps. The Earth Queen used them up until there was nothing left, but even after her death there's no release. They're still stuck in reverse. No one deserves that. These people, more than anyone, need something to change.

Leave it up to me.

The memories of you are already drifting, deep into thick fog, hidden, concealed. Sometimes they surface upwards. I do everything in my power to keep my mind focused, but when I think of your lips, or the sound of your voice, it's like I'm moving in slow motion. I can still feel the warmth from the gentle morning light coming through the window of the guest house. Has it really been 10 years?

...I needed you before I knew who you were.

But when I see the hopeless faces looking up at the train… slowly, everything drains away.

* * *

><p><em>164 AG<em>

"Wow."

Kuvira was standing at the foot of Yishu's bed. She had her pants back on, but she couldn't find her tank top. She turned her head and realized Yishu had been admiring her. She smirked.

"You've seen me at rehearsal plenty of times. What's so different with just my shirt off?"

"Everything." Yishu grinned. Kuvira laughed and shook her head before going back to searching for her clothing.

"You need to remind me to fold my clothes in a neat pile next time. This is horrible."

"Hey. I can't help it if rehearsal gets you worked up."

Kuvira watched as Yishu yawned dramatically and stretched her body out across the bed. Yishu wasn't so bad looking herself. Kuvira still couldn't figure out how she hadn't noticed before. All it had taken was sitting down for lunch to make Kuvira realize that Yishu wasn't half as annoying as she thought she'd been. At least most of the time.

"Oh, I see," Kuvira said in mock anger as she strode over to Yishu and pulled the pillow out from under her. Kuvira's tank top had been hidden beneath. Kuvira snatched it.

"Nice try."

"Hey, it was worth a shot."

"It's not that I don't want to stay…" Kuvira started, but Yishu cut her off.

"Listen, you don't owe me anything, and you don't have to feel bad about leaving."

Kuvira looked at her, and for not the first time she wished she had Aiwei's truth seeing ability.

"Don't give me that face. We're cool, go on," Yishu said with a smile. Kuvira chose to believe her. She threw on her tank top and grabbed her bag.

What she had with Yishu was certainly not a rarity, especially in Zaofu, but she wasn't exactly sure what she did she have with her. She tried not to think about it, but something felt wrong every time they just… went their separate ways. Their lives were like two curving lines, and occasionally there were points of intersection, but each time it was just that—a single point in time. Disconnected.

Still, Kuvira didn't have any regrets. Yishu had been her first lover, and now they were good friends. They spent time together, and some of those times they opted to spend their time… closer together. Neither of them seemed to have a problem with it, mostly.

* * *

><p>Rehearsals were starting to heat up as the date for their first recital drew near. Kuvira could feel the pressure creeping up behind her, dripping heavily onto her like hot wax and muffling the outside world. There was a lot she felt she needed to prove. To Zaofu, the troupe, and to herself.<p>

Yishu was fired up, most likely from their encounter from the day before. She was flashing Kuvira some horribly persuasive looks, and Kuvira was having trouble concentrating. It wasn't like her, but she just couldn't keep it together.

She managed to make it through rehearsal somehow, but by the end of it her mind was practically spinning, her throat was dry, and her neck and face were burning hot. Had she overdone it? Was she getting sick?

"You don't look so great," Yishu's voice came from behind her. Kuvira turned her head.

"Yeah," was all Kuvira managed to say.

"Must have been from all that fun yesterday," Yishu replied teasingly, and she reached her hand out to touch Kuvira's shoulder. Yishu squeezed the muscles gently before sliding her hand down Kuvira's bicep. The gentle touch sent fuzzy spikes of pleasure deep into Kuvira's gut, but a part resisted.

"Well, I'll let you have a break," Yishu said, without missing a beat as she picked up her bag and slung her towel around her shoulders. She waved, and then she was gone.

Kuvira felt oddly relieved by her absence. There was something about being seen at her worst that bothered her greatly. She didn't like being around others when she was so obviously not herself. She'd need to leave. Go home. Take a bath. Get to bed early. Figure out—

"What's wrong?"

Kuvira recognized Suyin's voice, and she looked up to see the Matriarch approaching her.

"Oh—Nothing. I'm fine." The words spilled out of her mouth, but she used that edge in her voice that commanded respect. This would be the end of a conversation; not the start of one. Not this time. Not even for Suyin.

Suyin, unhindered by Kuvira's strong tone, continued her approach. She wasn't buying it.

"You haven't looked fine since this morning. Should I be worried?"

Her voice was a sucker punch right into Kuvira's ribcage. It knocked the wind out of her, left her gasping. How could a voice do so much?

"There's no need. Really." She hoped there was an air of finality this time that Suyin would recognize.

"There certainly is," Suyin replied smoothly, "I can't have one of the strongest members in my troupe getting sick before our first recital." She smiled sweetly, and Kuvira could feel her resolve crumbling.

And just like that, Suyin had convinced Kuvira to join her for lunch.

* * *

><p>Kuvira had seen the Beifong Estate hundreds of times while riding the rail cars around Zaofu, but she had never stepped foot on the grounds. The layout wasn't very different from the other compounds. The outer ring was mostly one large courtyard consisting mainly of gardens, sculptures and fountains. There were wide walkways all around the outside, almost like the spokes of a wheel, and they led up to a large stairway.<p>

When they reached the top of the stairs, Kuvira saw Suyin's estate in more vivid colors than she'd ever seen in the photographs. She suddenly realized how far away the Beifong Estate had seemed to her before, even though it had been physically so close for all those years.

Suyin caught Kuvira smiling.

"Do you like it? I spent a great deal of time planning it all out. Every single window and door." As she spoke they walked towards the front entrance, and Suyin bent the expertly hammered steel double doors open as they approached.

"I've always found Zaofu's architecture impressive," Kuvira said idly as they entered the main hall. "To think that you built your home while building a city…"

"Well, the estate came later. When we needed… more room. Bataar and I slept in a glorified tent in the beginning. Sometimes I miss it." Kuvira watched as Suyin looked out one of the large windows facing the courtyard, and she thought she saw her expression waver, if only for a moment. It was an expression Kuvira had never seen on Suyin's face before, and it made the blood in Kuvira's neck and wrists pound.

Suyin seemed to realize she had stopped talking, and she turned her head back to Kuvira with her bright green eyes twinkling, and a wide smile on her face.

"But you're not here for a tour, are you? Let's eat."

Kuvira was surprised to find that the Chef really did look like a pirate. Once she tasted the meal he had prepared for them, any negative thought she had in her mind melted away. As she ate, she could feel her energy returning.

As Kuvira regained her strength, she started asking more questions. She had learned about Zaofu during classes in her youth, but hearing about the city from the creator herself was an entirely new experience. Suyin seemed simply radiant as she spoke about the reasoning behind her decisions, and even after the plates had been taken away, the conversation continued.

Aiwei was the one to finally interrupt them. He appeared at the threshold of the dining room with a clipboard in his arms. He cleared his throat, and Suyin looked up and over at him.

"Oh, that's right. Forgive me, Aiwei. I lost track of time. Give me a moment and I'll meet you in my office."

Aiwei nodded and left.

Suyin stood up, and Kuvira followed suit.

"Looks like I'm needed elsewhere," Suyin said with an apologetic look on her face.

"Sorry for keeping you," Kuvira said halfheartedly; she wasn't all that sorry about it.

"Oh, no. These are the conversations I live for."

Kuvira nodded. She hadn't expected any of this. It felt like a gift. "I didn't expect you to be so open about the inner workings of Zaofu," she said, and her dark green eyes narrowed with delight.

But Suyin raised an eyebrow and smiled nearly imperceptibly as she replied. "Oh, I wouldn't tell all of that to just anyone." Kuvira froze, but Suyin had already started walking towards the doorway. "Can you find your own way out?"

It was no wonder that Kuvira's heart raced on the rail car all the way back to her apartment. Nor would it be a surprise that she opted not to meet Yishu later that night for drinks. In truth, she could barely think straight, but this time it wasn't because of fatigue. She was giddy with nervous excitement and nearly vibrating at the idea that the Matriarch of Zaofu had found her worthy of select information. Clearly, Suyin Beifong had a reason for her actions, a grand plan in which Kuvira was somehow involved.


	9. Chapter 9 - Further and Further

_164 AG_

Kuvira pushed herself harder than ever in the weeks that followed her first meaningful conversation with Suyin. She was determined to prove that the Matriarch hadn't made the wrong decision in trusting her, and she went above and beyond what was required of her, spurred onward by Suyin's apparent interest. She wore her conviction like a heavy cloak, and the power in her actions kept everyone else at a distance.

She had never felt a purpose so strongly.

One afternoon, alone in the dressing room, she had found herself staring at her reflection in the full-length mirror at the end of the room. Her dedication was starting to present itself physically. Even though she was fully clothed she noticed the muscles in her shoulders and thighs, and she was just starting to see definition on her abdomen. It wasn't just visual, either; she felt stronger.

She looked at her reflection in silence. A strand of hair had fallen out of her braid again. It was always the same one. She reached her hand upwards, meaning to tuck it back into place.

"I think it suits you."

Kuvira looked up suddenly and saw Suyin in the reflection of the mirror. She had just appeared in the doorway behind her. Kuvira's arm was frozen in mid-air. Confusion crossed her face as she motioned to the unkempt strand with one hand.

"This? But it's out of place..."

"Or maybe trying to keep it tied back is the problem," Suyin said. Kuvira thought she saw a smile playing on the older woman's lips.

Slowly, Kuvira lowered her arm to her side.

Suyin stepped forward. Kuvira could feel the hairs on the back of her neck standing up. She cursed herself for not having gotten used to these encounters yet, but how could she when they were so few and far between? She could tell she was being awkward, so she forced herself to speak.

"I never had a chance to really thank you for lunch."

"Oh, you're quite welcome," Suyin said lazily as she stopped in front of her own mirror. Kuvira saw her in the reflection, but when she realized Suyin was undressing she tore her eyes away. Another long stretch of silence between them, with only the sound of ruffled clothing as Suyin changed back into her robes. Kuvira's jaw clenched for a moment, and then her entire body relaxed.

"I'd like to have lunch with you again sometime."

Suyin stopped moving. She was looking at her, but Kuvira refused to look up. She had stepped out into thin air, and in the silence that ensued she felt like she was falling, hurtling down towards rejection.

"Tomorrow afternoon?"

Kuvira could feel the lightness in her stomach when she heard the reply, and she couldn't help but smile to herself.

* * *

><p>The air was crisp and cool, and the sun was bright and blinding outside the rehearsal hall. The light gleamed against the running water at the fountain in the distance. When Kuvira opened the doors she nearly squinted her eyes against the brightness.<p>

Yishu was waiting for her by the steps.

"Lunch?"

"I can't today," Kuvira said gently as she took to the steps in the direction of the rail car station.

"Didn't think so," Yishu replied stiffly.

Kuvira stopped. And slowly, she turned. She was a few steps below Yishu, and she looked up at her.

"Sorry, I just have a lot on my mind, you know, with opening night coming up."

"You don't have to lie," Yishu said, and she smiled. Kuvira couldn't tell if Yishu was hurt, angry, amused, or something else entirely. Her mind went into strategy-mode immediately, and she chose her words carefully.

"You think I'm lying?"

"I know you're lying, and I know what you're up to. And honestly? I don't give a damn."

"What… the hell are you talking about?" Kuvira forced the words out, trying desperately to keep her voice from shaking.

"I think we both knew from the start, but I've been more honest. You should work on that."

Kuvira could feel her defensiveness flaring up like an old wound opening anew. Her green eyes, bright and flashing in the sun, narrowed.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She said it hard enough to force herself into believing it, and the words came out with a passionate ring. She turned away sharply, breaking apart the hollow silence with her hurried thudding footsteps, and she felt it echo behind her like she felt the piercing stare Yishu must certainly be giving her.

* * *

><p>She didn't go home immediately like she had meant to. Instead, she went to the bending field. She hadn't been there in some time, though she had come often in her youth when metalbending had been relatively new to her. It was a mixed use training ground of sorts. Large, with many different fields and platforms arching upwards into the sky.<p>

She took in a deep breath and tried to clear her mind. The sound of earthbending and metalbending in the distance all around her helped to put her at ease and wash away Yishu's cruel, knowing look and the callous directness of her words. She shook her head and opened her eyes, and in the distance, she noticed a group of metalbenders standing in front of thin pedestals. Upon each, a chunk of unformed meteorite sat.

That classic exercise certainly brought back memories. It had been one of the core metalbending exercises she had been given when she started her training all those years ago, and she, like most clan members, continued to practice it daily to keep her skills sharp.

The meteorite was unique in that it was easier to bend. There were the common shapes one learned, but later she had been guided to form shapes of her own. Kuvira had never needed to concentrate very hard to get the metal to take shape. In fact, there had been a few times where a shape had formed without actively thinking about it. This, she had been told, meant she was a natural. They had told her that concentration, conviction, and continued study would lead to even greater things . She had believed them.

She stood in front of a vacant pedestal and closed her eyes. Where had she really gone, after all these years? What had she accomplished? Had she reached her goals?

What were her goals?

The metal shot into a sharp, elongated octahedron, pointed like a dagger at either end. Eight-sided, symmetrical, beautifully smooth and reflecting the light like a lover's eyes. Kuvira sucked in a breath, surprised at the way the metal had shifted without her own insistence.

She smoothed the meteorite into a perfect sphere, bereft of any abnormality or flaw. She released a deep breath and the sphere's edges shot in all directions.

"Icosahedron?"

Kuvira's eyes snapped open. It was the second time Suyin had snuck up on her, and this time she was even less prepared.

"I didn't realize you were here," Kuvira blurted out. She could already feel the red heat creeping up onto her cheeks.

"I come here sometimes, after rehearsal. Helps me gather my thoughts and plan for the day ahead."

"Makes sense," Kuvira replied, and then she looked back down at the shape floating between her hands.

"20-sided, right?" Suyin stepped closer and stared at the meteorite appraisingly. Kuvira nodded slightly. She knew she was good, but what did the Matriarch of Zaofu think?

"The lines are perfect. Where were you going next?"

Kuvira's fingers moved out, and the convex sides raised so that the point where each side met shot outwards.

"Interesting," Suvira murmured. Kuvira raised her eyes up to look at the older woman's face. "You doubled the edges and inverted the faces. Twelves exterior points... and twelve hidden inside. Kuvira was surprised at how easily Suyin had been able to place such a complex shape.

Suyin stared down at the sharp, pointed object. "So, taking that one step further…" The Matriarch lifted her hands up to just inches before touching Kuvira's own. She moved her hands outwards while her fingers curled in, and the shape transformed.

"Forty faces, sixty edges, thirty vertices…" Kuvira nearly whispered. It was a shape she had never seen before. Kuvira felt the angles and lines of the metal in her own trembling heart. She rose her eyes to meet Suyin's own gaze and she held it.

"I've never seen that form before," Kuvira managed to say.

"Neither have I!" Suyin said happily as she took a step back and let her hands drop to her sides. "I'll have to add it to the books. Would you like to name it?"

"You're the one who created it," Kuvira said humbly as she cast her gaze downwards.

"I wouldn't have thought of it without you." Suyin's words stung Kuvira like a sweet poison.

"I can't say I'm very good at naming things," Kuvira said quietly.

Suyin paused for a moment.

"How about… Kuvira's Star?"

Kuvira shrugged slightly. "If you think that's suitable." She realized with relief that she was starting to become more comfortable with their exchanges.

Suyin smiled. "It's done, then. Well, I'm glad. Can you promise me that lunch tomorrow will be this exciting?"

Kuvira couldn't help but grin. "I can't promise it, but we can try."

* * *

><p><em>174 AG<em>

I remember not being able to sleep the night before we met for lunch the second time. The sound of your voice and the look in your eyes all around me and as the sun set and the stars revealed themselves I wore the thought of you like a mantle. I still didn't know exactly what you wanted, but I didn't doubt you. To doubt that you had a plan for me, that you had so carefully chosen me amongst all the others, would be to doubt my own self worth. To think you didn't want me would be like not wanting to be myself. I had to believe you had a reason. For my pride. For my sanity.

I had my apartment's windows open wide to stave off the heat. I could hear night sounds outside. Crates being unloaded into the storeroom at the restaurant down by the corner, and laughter echoing into the street as groups of people headed home for the night. The night was alive in a way that sent memories of Ba Sing Se shooting up into my spine. Those have always been blurry memories, tinged with pain, and typically they only served to make me feel lonely, but my excitement to see you the next day drowned everything else out. You were the sea's waves, and each time we met the tide came further and further in, until there was nothing left.

I watched the morning light cross the wall, and then I got out of bed. I reached for my dance rehearsal clothing out of habit, but then I stopped. It was more than that, wasn't it? I had a single traditional robe that I hadn't worn in forever and that's what I chose. I stood in front of the mirror and stared at my reflection. Seeing myself dressed so formally made me smile. I raised my hand instinctively to tuck that loose strand behind my ear, but your words came echoing back. I think it suits you. So I left it alone.

You outdid yourself. You had it all planned out. The meal was exceptional. You had me try things I'd never tasted before; never even heard of. We talked about everything and nothing, and the words and the laughter came as easily as the stonefruit wine. When we were finished, you gave me what you called "the unofficial tour". We saw the library, vast and complex with those walls full of books. We stood in serene silence for a moment in your immaculately kept garden. You steered us away from the east wing, where your children slept.

We reached the courtyard and turned towards a clearing. Small raised platforms, about waist-high, sprouted from the ground.

"This is what I really wanted to show you," you said, and I looked over at you. You were looking out over the field with a satisfied smile. It was the smile of someone who had spent years and years working towards her goals and, having reached them, basking in the glory of that attainment. Admiration tinged with jealousy spiked my bloodstream. I tore my gaze away from you, and looked out onto the field.

"Meteorites," I said as I stepped closer. They were all slightly different in size, shape, color and form. These were meteorites that no one had ever bended. Pure, asymmetrical, organic shapes with jutting, jagged edges.

"These are particularly rare, in some way or another," you said proudly.

"Where did you find them?"

"They come from all over, really. Many of them are from the Earth Kingdom, but naturally we make trades with the other nations if one happens to fall there." You paused.

"They fall beautifully," You said, watching me as I walked into the center of the collection for a closer look, "Flashing in the darkness with a white glare, like a tear in the sky."

"It's quite the collection. Why don't you show them off in the Origin Gallery?" I looked back at you. You were smiling modestly.

"I suppose I've been a little selfish, haven't I? I don't see these as the city's property so much as my own... personal collection."

I lifted my hand to place my fingers against the surprisingly warm, jagged edge of a meteorite. I ran my fingers down the side of it. Parts of it were smooth and indented, almost like fingerprints.

"That one fell near Ba Sing Se," you said. I heard your voice from behind me. You were coming closer. Those quiet moments were still putting my heart on edge. Did you realize it then? Had you known all along?

I had said nothing in response, so you continued. "You were born there, weren't you?"

I nodded slowly. "I can't remember much of it, though." It was hell. That's what I didn't say. I couldn't say it. Not to you.

"Have you been back there, since you left?" Your voice was soft and careful. You weren't sure if I wanted to talk about it, but you certainly wanted to know. You could coax anything out of me, and you only improved as the years passed.

"No. I haven't, but why would I?" I turned to face you. "Zaofu is my home."

Your smile widened.

"Loyalty is very important to me, Kuvira, and you've more than proven your capabilities."

You took a few steps forward. I could have reached my hand out and touched your face, we were so close. I didn't know what to think, so I tried to think about nothing at all.

"I'd like you to consider joining the Guard."

"It would be my honor," I replied without skipping a beat. I had always had my goals set high, and all those years of preparation seemed to finally be paying off. Zaofu's city guard had some of the best metalbenders in the city, and initiation was by invitation only. I knew I deserved it, but would I have gotten there without you?

"I knew I could count on you."

* * *

><p>"Did you need me, Kuvira?"<p>

Bolin's voice sounds distant. I open my eyes. The floor of the train is only inches from my nose. I realize I've been doing push ups. I have no idea for how long. Sweat is running down my neck and inside my collar. It drips down my forearms and into my gloves. I push myself upwards into the ready position, despite the ache in my arms.

"Kuvira? Uh, wow. You are really good at push ups. I've always been more of a sit ups kind of guy. Back when I lived in-"

"Bolin."

"...Yes?"

I push myself up to my knees and rise to my feet in one fluid motion. There's a dull ache in my chest. Bolin is fidgeting. He's still not comfortable around me. I honestly can't blame him.

"Do you know why I asked you to meet with me?" I can hear my own voice, hollow and unfeeling, in my head.

"You… wanted to workout together?"

"Not quite," I said flatly. I turn to face the large map at the front of the compartment.

"We've entered the State of Yi. We'll reach the Capital soon. I just want to make sure you're prepared."

Bolin tilts his head to one side. "Well, why… wouldn't I be? This is just like every other Earth Kingdom place we've come to rescue, right?"

"Not quite," I say, and then I pause. "Airbenders will be there. Opal is among them."

"Oohhh. ...Gotcha." Bolin is trying his best to not look concerned. I smile charmingly.

"I wanted to make sure you were prepared to defend our mission, Bolin" I can feel my commanding voice vibrating in my throat. "You're aware of how she feels about the path we've undertaken."

"Yeah," Bolin says quietly. He lowers his gaze sadly, but resolve brings his bright green eyes back up, and he looks me straight on. "Don't worry. I can explain it to her. It's been… a long time. Maybe this time she'll get it."

I nod, but in my heart I knew the truth.


End file.
